stranger of the night
by Schluter
Summary: A mystery about a teenagers who kills his best friend.... or did he even comit the crime?


Stranger of

The

Night

By Vanessa Schluter

Before The Story

Dear Thoughts,

Do you know what creeps in the dark as you sleep? It just stands there watching you slumber, waiting for when you awake. Do you feel like something dark and dangerous is watching your every move. It laughs because you're so clueless. It creates your worst nightmares. It waits in the shadows waiting to strike. The monster is called "death", and he is waiting around every corner waiting to claim your soul. When he does there is no turning back. There is no escaping it. I should know because I am death. People just call me Tyler. To you this might just be some story, but this is my story, and how I lost my best friend last fall, and why people now call me a monster.

-Tyler Holland-

Chapter 1

It is dark all around me. Closed in like a cage, I have no where else to run. The only sound around me is the terrifying sound of my beating heart. It's beating so loud "he" could probably hear it and will soon find me. The aloneness has always been my home, my life, but whoever knew that something you learned to live with your whole life is terrifying you, and grows into your nightmare. Suddenly my heart froze and the footsteps I have been hearing stopped in front of the door. I tried to crawl deeper in the darkness but the cold, mean wall stopped me. I guess it was getting revenge for when I punched a whole in my room last month. I deserve to die. Deserve to suffer as the blade pierces my heartless body. I heard that there is a chance that when you're close to death you don't fill pain. With my luck I would hurt like hell and I would be sent to the fiery depths of hell where I

Belong. The door knob began to turn slowly and soundless as if he was trying to sneak up on me,

But we both know that tonight there will be no surprises. The door started to open with no sound, opposite of those scary movies that my dad and I used to watch every Saturday night. I looked up slowly expecting to see a dark faceless shadow standing over me with a knife in his hand, waiting to kill me, but what I saw surprised me. My eyes grew wide with shock and relief. "Tyler" I whispered softly. He pulled his finger to his lips and motioned me to follow. A lot of thoughts were going threw my mind at the time. Like, why is he here, where is the psycho killer? He grabbed my hand and pulled me threw the door. Tyler looked different tonight. He looked kind of scary. Then all of a sudden the moon light reflected off something, something shiny. I looked down; a knife was in his hands. "Sorry" he said and I felt a sharp pain. Then everything went black.

Chapter 2

The moment I stepped off the bus I was blinded by cameras flashing. I could hardly walk because people were shoving microphones in my face and asking stupid questions like "Why did you do it?" "Where did you hide the body?" Stupid stuff like that. I sat down in a place were one word would determine my freedom. When I sat down I was then jerked to my feet as a skinny man walked in the room. "All rise for Judge Skyler" Screamed the officer standing in front of everybody. Wow Skyler sounds like a name that a girl would have. He sat down and soon everyone did the same. "We are here on behalf of Tyler Holland. He is here on behalf of murdering Tori Carmon, and is being charged with 3rd degree man slaughter." Along pause came and then he looked at me as if daring me to do something stupid. "How do you plead?" he asked as if trying to see right threw me. I stood up and cleared my throat as if to sound professional, and I always wanted to do that in front of a judge. "Mr. Judge, I am afraid I can not tell you if I'm guilty or not." I said trying to show emotion. "And why cant you?" The judge asked with anger in his voice. I looked at him for the longest time. "Well…." I said trying to think of something else clever to say. "I'm waiting for an answer Mr. Holland." His voice was tired and impatient, I knew he wanted me to screw up so he could send me to prison. In a soft voice I replied "I don't remember what happened that cold night in November." he let out a cold, cruel laugh "If I only had a penny for every time I have heard that story." "Honest I don't remember what happened that November. All that I remember is that it was dark and I decided to take a walk around the park so I could burn off my supper. Then the next thing you know I woke up the next mourning covered in blood and cops all over me." he sat motionless for a few seconds and then wrote something down and showed it to the officer. He looked at it for a moment and then let out a laugh that you would expect to hear from a hyena. Then he looked at me and stood up. "Mr. Holland, if you are not going to take this case seriously and cooperate than I have no other choice but to sentence you to life in prison, And I would not lose any sleep for sending a 16 year old to jail for life. It amuses me to know that you are where you belong along with all the other "monsters" in this world." When he said the word monster it sent shivers down my spine. "I am "not" a monster." I replied, he looked at me as if daring me to say that again, so I did "I am not a monster." he stood up and saying. "Well then until you can prove that to me and the jury I hear by sentence you to one year in prison. Next court date is September 18, 2009, court dismissed." And just like that, with one swing of a hammer my freedom was over. The officer took me by the arm and dragged me to the bus. "Can you let go of me? I can find the bus on my own!" I screamed. He stopped dead in his tracks and slapped me across the face. Then in a cruel voice he said "Lesson hear boy, this is how it's going to be. You show me respect and don't get on my nerves, me and you will get along just fine, But If you don't treat me with respect, I will make you wish you have never been born. I will make sure you never see the light of day again. Do I make myself clear?" I looked at him for a second "Yea" and continued to walk to the bus that will lead me to my new home. I hopped on the bus and the officer told me to sit in the middle of the bus so he could keep an eye on me. In his right hand was a diet Dr. Pepper and in his left was a gun just incase I tried to do anything stupid. I smiled a little at the diet Dr. Pepper because he needs it badly. The bus ride was quite and bumpy. It was nothing like the high school bus. On this bus every time you looked out the window the long white bus would hit a bump in the road and you would bash your head across the metal bars across the windows. We arrived at the jail twenty minutes later. I was assigned a number and an orange jumpsuit with my first name on it I sighed. I will be wearing for the next year until the final decision in court next year. I was then assigned a smelly, dark jail cell that I will be sharing with four other men. I walked inside the cell and the officer slammed the door shut behind me. As if telling me that I will be here forever, and with my luck maybe I will be.

Chapter 3

For a moment I didn't know what to do. I didn't know if I should scream or laugh, if I should talk or stay silent. Then I finally decided to lean up against a wall so I would look a little big and bad. After about fifteen minutes I dared to look around at the other prisoners. They didn't look like they wanted to kill me, At least not yet. There was a big guy in the corner holding a bible to his chest praying. Tears forming in his eyes but he didn't dare cry in front of the other guys. On his suit it said his name was Logan. The other guy was laying on one of the lumpy beds looking up at the ceiling as if trying to see past the molding cement to see the light of the warm sun. To feel the cool summer breeze on his face. He was bold and tattoos all over his arms of beautiful women with big boobs. He didn't look to scary but scary enough to sleep with one eye open. His uniform said "David" There was one more guy. He had scares all over his body, and cuts on his arms. His hair was full of bald spots were someone pulled chunks of hair out. He had several piercings and tattoos. Just looking at the guy made shivers run down my spine. On his it said hunter "So what are you in for?" asked David "My names David." I looked at him for a moment then turned my head and sighed. As if I can't read your jumpsuit, but I just decided to answer his question and not to start shit on the first day of prison. "I think I might have murdered my best friend." He looked at me like I was crazy, maybe I am crazy? "That doesn't make any since. You have to know if you did it or not. Unless you are retarded or something." I studied him for a second to see if he was kidding around or being serious. I couldn't tell. "Sorry" he said suddenly as if he thought I was mad and was going to kill him to. I began to crack a smile, but I stopped myself. "So how old are you kid?" David asked. I hesitated for a second not knowing if I should lie and say I was older then I was or just change the subject. "Sixteen" His eyes grew wide. "You're only sixteen?" I looked away "The judge didn't let me explain he just laughed in my face and sent me here until the next trial." I wanted to just disappear and never return. "So what is your story?" asked Logan with was still holding the bible in his arms as if it were his child. I started to shake. "I don't know what happened I just woke up covered in blood one morning with the cops all over me." Everyone started laughing as if it was a joke. I could feel my face getting hot. I didn't want to talk anymore I walked across the room to lay down on the nearest bed. After they all stopped laughing one asked "So who was it?" I remained silent. They all shut up after a while of bugging me. I did notice hunter with scares all over his body was not laughing or was even paying attention. That made me a little happier. I rolled over and tried to sleep. Even though I knew I won't be getting any sleep for the next year.

Chapter 4

The next day during lunch I sat alone at the table farthest away from the door. I was zoned out when there was a tap on my solider. I looked up and saw Hunter standing over me. I was thinking oh shit I'm going to get hit in the face. Instead he just sat beside me. After a long time he finally said "so did you do it, because I like stories." I looked at him and knew he was serious. I closed my eyes and just breathed. I was deciding if I should tell him or not. I heard the chair move and I knew he was leaving. "Her name was Tori Carmon and she was my best friend. We did everything together. We were always there for the other no matter what. We needed each other like the moon needs the sky." He paused and slowly sat back down. "Did you love her?" he asked. "I thought about that for a moment. "Yea I did." I began to smile. "So why did you kill her?" I wasn't going to answer that because I didn't know the answer, I looked at him. "I will have to tell you the story because if I don't you would never understand. I have to warn you it's a "long" story." He started to smile. "I have the rest of my life I can't go anywhere, and I like a good story" He said as if to try to make me laugh, But when he said that he had time I had to hold back tears, but I smiled anyway because he doesn't need to hear about other people decides Tori Nobody else.

"It was September 6th, 1999. I was six years old and all alone in this world. My parents' hade recently died in a car accident right in front of me. I was forced to live with my abusive ant. I wanted my life to end right then. So I got this crazy idea that I would jump off a bridge and fly away from all of my problems and be with my family. So I waited until sunset before I would jump. I remember every bone in my body was shaking and I couldn't breath. Just when I was about to step of the edge an arm was holding on to me and pulled me to the safe, cruel ground.

As a turned around to hit them I stopped. There she was, she looked scared to death with tears in

Her eyes that made her brown eyes look green. She had light brown hair and was wearing a black

T-shirt and dark blue jeans. Her shin was pail and soft, with a little bit of acne which was strange for a girl so young. She was the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen. "Don't do it, please don't be a dumb ass."

"Yes those strong words I will always remember" I said with a laugh. "How old was she?" Asked the scared up guy. His lips were in a half smile. "Six, just like me. We shared the same birthday." "When is your birthday anyway?"  
I looked away and in a soft voice "September sixth." I looked back at him to make sure he wasn't looking at me like I was some weirdo. Sure enough he wasn't. He had just some sort of zoned out look like he didn't know what was going on. His gaze suddenly focused on me again, and he smiled a quick smile. I felt an acquired silence, "Anyway".

As I laid there on the ground looking at her I realized that I have never seen her before. Where did she come from? Why does she care about me so much? Before I knew it she grabbed my hand and pulled me up. I stood about an inch taller then her. As the sun hit her face I saw that she was so under weight. All of her bones in her body stuck out like she hasn't eaten in weeks. She held out her hand "my name is Tori." She said as if she has known me forever. I took her hand. "My name is Tyler." She smiled and shook my hand. Her hands were so soft, so cold and shaking. I let go and stepped back. "Are you new here?" I asked to break the silence. Her smile faded and she ran away as if I offended her. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know if I should chase her. Or just let her go run free. Even if I did decide to chase her there was no possible way I could catch her. For a small, weak, skinny girl she could still run fast, as if she has been doing it her whole life.

So I watched her disappear in the distance wondering if someday I would ever see Tori again.

Chapter 5

The only time you should even think about crying is at night. When the lights are off and everybody is asleep. I don't cry but Brandon cries in his sleep. The one that was laying on one of the bed staring at the ceiling. He was executed today. I later found out that Brandon was accused of killing his wife and family. Sounds like something I would do. I am a monster and I am not proud to admit it. Murder is a thing that I don't enjoy, but I'm here to rot in this hell hole that the judge calls my new home so I better shut up and enjoy it. Hunter hasn't talked since last week. Nobody will talk to anymore. I am a ghost, a nobody. The only thing to look forward to is death. I deserve to die. I deserve to die a slow, painful death. The way Tori did except Tori didn't deserve to die, maybe I did kill her. The thing that I don't understand is why would I kill my best friend? I may be a monster but I am not heartless. My thoughts were interrupted when the guard yelled out "Tyler Holland step forward please!" at least he said please. I took a slow step forward. "You have a package in the front office waiting for you." I sighed in relief and began to be escorted to the front office. When I arrived I signed my name on the dotted line and received a medium sized box. There was no address on it and no name except for my own. The guard walked me back to my cell and locked the cold doors behind me. I carefully opened the box as if I were handling my most precious possession. I removed the black tissue and inside was a book, a little book,

All that excitement for nothing. So I threw the book on the dirty ground where it belongs. Everybody that knows me should know that I do not read unless the book was loaded with blood, and I don't think a little pink book contains even the littlest hint of blood. "You dropped something" said kelian. I looked at him and he looked down "sorry" he said too quickly. I was about to cuss him out to make him feel worse but I stopped myself. I picked up the book and lad it on my bed. The bell ran for dinner and the cell doors opened.

I grabbed my tray and my one dish that I eat everyday "beans and cornbread" I sit down and open up the package that contains the plastic spoons, and slowly started eating. I couldn't help but think about the little book, maybe inside was a way I could break out. No they check all the mail. How about a killer's secret thoughts for all I know the pink could be a cover. Once again no the officer's would read it, maybe a bible, maybe. I finished my soup and waited to be escorted back to my jail cell. "PSSST, Tyler!" I stopped and looked around. "Come on keep it moving" said one of the fat officers beside me. I kept walking and took a step into my cell. "Tyler" I stopped and looked around. In the corner is where hunter was sitting there. Hidden deep beneath the safe shadows where nobody could see him. "You didn't finish your story." It was just me and him in the cell so I looked at him, took a deep breath and smiled.

"A few weeks have passed and as you know school starts up. You know everyday first day of school the drama starts. I watched people laughing, hugging and having a good time. As for me this was always my least favorite day of the long year. Why get so exited over sitting behind a desk doing paper work and Listening to a fat guy talk for eight hours? I expected the teacher to tell the class rules and all that other junk and wait for summer to arrive. Just as I sat down a girl sat down across from me. She had light brown hair that was covering one eye and was wearing a black sweatshirt that was two times to big for her and blue jeans. "Tori?" I asked a little too softly. She looked at me and smiled a little. Her eyes began to glow. I love it when that happens. It makes her look like a princess. The teacher began her yearly talk about class rules. She soon gave us a long, boring assignment. We had to write ten things about ourselves and read it to the class. When Tori reached to grab her pencil I noticed she had lots of deep cuts on her wrists. When she saw me looking she pulled her arm back really fast and looked down. After a couple minutes she looked down at her paper and started doing her assignment, after a while everyone presented what they wrote about themselves to the class and the only people left was me and Tori. "So has everyone gone?" "No" shouted the whole class. "oh who did I miss?" in a split second every kid in the room was pointing and looking at me and Tori." "How about?" She paused to look at the list of names on the role sheet. It bothers me because threw school not one of my teachers has bothered to try to learn my name. Come on Tyler is not a hard name to remember. I guess because I freak them out and know since I freak them out I won't be in their class for long. "Tyler, why don't you be a kind gentleman and go first?" I sighed and slowly walked to the front of the room hoping that the bell would ring. I could hear the kids whispering and giggling behind my back. I stood their and cleared my throat, and looked down at my blank piece of paper. I decided to dish it out. So I cleared my through just like I saw on television so I could sound professional and then I started to read "Hi my name is death." I rolled my eyes and looked down at my black shoes and pants. I always wore all black. My hair is even black. I looked back up. My hobbies are killing and claiming people's souls. My favorite color is black. On my free time I sit alone in the darkness just waiting for revenge. I love to kill people too, and my favorite animal is birds because it's fun to take off their heads and watch them twitch until they don't twitch anymore." I looked at the class and they were all crying even the teacher was crying because she was so scared. "you!" shouted the teacher . "I don't know that kind of monster you are but go the principle's office now or I'll call the cops!" When the teacher said that her voice was trembling because she was so scared, I amused me. So I left the room anyways. Everyone was crying except for Tori, when I looked at her she was sort of smiling as if holding back laughter and that amused me even more"

Chapter 6

Soon the rest of my roommates started filing into the cell and Hunter started acting like we were never talking. I guess Hunter is very shy or something because he never talks. He only seems to talk in his sleep, and always sounds like he is talking to a child. I will have to hear his story because I kind of like stories too. I soon started feeling weird just standing in front of a moldy wall. So I walked over to my bed to lie down because my head was starting to spin. I picked the pink book off my pillow and moved it so I could lie down. I wonder what's in the book. What the hell I might as well open it. I opened the cover and turned to the first page. My eyes grew wide and I had to read it again to make sure I read the title correctly. On the first page written in black was "This is the journal of Tori Carmen, DO NOT READ invasion of privacy. I will find out and kill you if you read what's contained on these pages." It just made me want to read it more. I guess nothing could hurt anything because somebody wants me to read it, I never thought I would say this but I'm going to sit down a read. Wow my mom would have had a heart attack but it does not matter anyways because she is already dead. I miss my mommy.,

Chapter 7

I sat on the floor with my legs crossed with a piece of paper and I pen in my hand. It feels weird having a pen in my hand because I never did my work. I'm not even sure if I ever learned how to write. Plus the pen is permanent and what I say to my mom I can't erase. I don't even know what to say. I guess I can start with I'm sorry. Yes that's a start; I'm going to do that.

Hey mom,

I know that you will NEVER receive this letter. I know you would be surprised. I need to tell you something. Yes I know that's its all of my falt that you and dad is dead. This is the part when you laugh. Ok I'm going to cut the bull shit and get to the point. The reason why I'm writing you is to say that "I'm sorry." I'm sorry that I have not been a good

Son or that I made you cry so many times. Yes I hear you cry in your sleep and I acted like I never heard you because I knew you were crying because of me. I'm also sorry that I never took care of you when you needed me when dad left us that one night. I should have stayed home and told you it's going to be ok instead of me going off and trying to kill myself. I deserve to rot in this hell hole. I deserve to die just like Tori did. I'm just sorry. I know you saw what happened that night that tori died. I know because you are in heaven and people that are in heaven can see everything. I wish you were here to tell me what happened. To tell me if I am a monster and if I did kill Tori. Even though I don't deserve an answer or your love.

Truly,

Tyler Holland

I put the paper in an envelope and did all the stuff you need to do to send a letter. I was careful not to let any of the prisoners see it because if they did I would get beat to a bloody pulp. I stick it under my mattress and waited for a miracle, even though miracles never happen in jail. That's part of our punishment

Chapter 8

There is just something about being alone that is just so peaceful, Tori agrees on that too. I read the first page of her journal and it was talking about being alone and unloved. I feel sorry that she died feeling like that. Would love to just hold her right now and tell her that's its going to be ok, but I cant because I killed her, it's all my fault. Before I knew it a tear ran down my face and even sooner a slap across my face. The pain hit me, and cheek started throbbing. I looked up and Hunter was standing there. "Pull yourself together man do you want to get killed?" he said in almost a whisper. Then he started looking around the room and leaned closer to me. So close that his face was almost touching mine. "If you think that hurt wait till the others get a hold of you, no crying ok?" I nodded really fast. Then he got even closer. "I can't sleep do you mind telling more of your story?" I nodded after all I have nothing better to do. Then I looked at him "where was I?" he paused then closed his eyes to think. "Um oh yeah you were sent to the principles office." He started to smile. Ok let's begin.

"As you know I couldn't get away with scaring the shit out of everyone. So I walked down to Principle Sanjay's office. It didn't bother me because Principle Sanjay knew me all to well. I have been seeing him everyday since I started pre k. I was sort of expecting it. I just walked right into his office and sat down. He was sitting down with his back turned towards me. "Hello Tyler I was expecting you." He turned around stared at me and sighed. "What have you done this time?" I stared at him harder. "I didn't do anything." He shook his head. "That's not what Mrs. Tennyson said; she said that you made disturbing remarks." My eyes grew narrow and deep with anger. "I was telling her about me!" he got up and put his arm around me and looked at me square in the eyes. "Calm down Tyler." He said calmly. I liked Sanjay. His real name is Principle Glynn but I call him by his first Name, Sanjay. He has always been like a father to me. "Why don't you just stay in my office and after school I take you somewhere where you could just relax? I nodded ok and leaned back in the chair. I watched him do his work and all of his other principle stuff. Finally after what seemed like a billion yours the bell rang. After all of the busses left campus Principle Sanjay got up from his chair and grabbed his coat and keys and we headed out the door. In the parking lot was a 1959 Thunderbird Ford Mustang. It was light blue and a convertible. It wasn't the prettiest thing in the world but it was still a nice car. It was all beat up and needed a good paint job. I climbed in the passenger seat of the old car and Sanjay got in right after me. It took a few tries to get the car started but after five minutes the car started. We started down the road. I looked at Sanjay and then looked out the window. "So where are we going?" he smiled a little and looked at me. "First we are going to get some ice cream then to my house. And then I'm going to take you to Mrs. Tennyson's house so you can apologize." "Do I have to?" I could feel him starring me down hard. "Yes you do it would be nice." I moaned and said "Fine." We pulled into Dunncan Donuts Ice cream and coffee shop and got some ice cream. We laughed and joked around and then we started heading down to his house. He lived in an ordinary brick house with a sidewalk going down the middle of the yard. We stepped inside the house and I plopped down on the love seat. He soon sat down and looked at me. "So will you now tell me what happened today in the classroom?" I started studying the pictures on the wall and then looked at him. "I already told you." He put his hand on my back and said softly "You did but you didn't tell me the whole story." I felt like the room was spinning and got lightheaded. "Why would you care you don't have time to hear a story, plus it's a long story." He smiled at me "I got time and besides I like stories." So I told him the whole story and even told him about her calling me a heartless monster. He padded me on the back and we headed outside to go to the second to last place I wanted to be… Mrs. Tennyson's house. The last place I wanted to be was home.

Chapter 9

We drove down to the end of the road and pulled into a driveway. "Wow that was fast." He looked at me and said "a whole lot better then walking." We got out of the car and walked towards the door. That was the longest walk of my life. Or so I thought at the moment

24


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